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Drizzly weather did little to dampen the celebration Sept. 25 as Falls Church officials, developers, investors and residents marked the grand opening of West Falls, the largest and most complex development in the city’s history.

The nearly 10-acre, transit-oriented neighborhood represents the first phase of a broader transformation planned between West Broad Street and the West Falls Church Metro station. Its completion follows more than a decade of intensive work—and early discussions that began roughly 20 years ago.

Mayor Letty Hardi called the ribbon-cutting a milestone for Falls Church and evidence that the “Little City” can pursue ambitious projects. She said West Falls will serve as a new economic engine, bringing housing, employment, businesses and public gathering places to the city.

The development was closely tied to a defining challenge: replacing and modernizing the former George Mason High School, now Meridian High School, without placing the entire cost on local taxpayers. City and School Board leaders ultimately paired construction of the new school with commercial redevelopment of land made available by building the campus vertically.

Vice Mayor Debbie Hiscott said the city spent $120 million on the new high school. Revenue associated with the West Falls development was intended to help support the bond that financed it.

Hardi said Falls Church students now attend one of Virginia’s most modern high schools because the redevelopment strategy succeeded.

A New Neighborhood Takes Shape

West Falls includes 526 homes at The Alder apartments and The Oak condominiums, according to developer Hoffman & Associates. The neighborhood also has 123,000 square feet of restaurant, retail and other commercial space.

At its center is The Commons, an 18,000-square-foot public green space with seating, flexible gathering areas and a fire pit. It is designed to host free events throughout the year.

Other components include a Home2 Suites by Hilton, The Reserve at Falls Church senior-living community, a medical office known as The Wellness Center, and arts organizations including Levine School of Music and CityDance. Retail plans encompass local and national businesses, restaurants, fitness and personal-care services, entertainment and daycare.

Hoffman & Associates President Maria Thompson described the project as the gateway to Falls Church. She said its access to Metro, Interstate 66 and Interstate 495 made the property particularly well suited for transit-oriented construction, while the selection of businesses and civic uses was intended to give it the character of a distinct neighborhood.

“This is a culmination of all the partnerships, and all the work and all the challenges that have gotten us here,” Thompson said.

Phase II has not yet launched. Thompson said it remains in the conceptual stage as the development team considers current economic conditions and weighs its options.

The West Falls opening also sets the stage for additional construction nearby. Hardi said the 10-acre project could help catalyze redevelopment across approximately 30 more acres, including the HITT headquarters property and planned housing on WMATA land.

Upgrades are also planned around the Route 7 and Haycock Road intersection to improve conditions for people walking and biking.

A Complicated Path to Completion

The origins of West Falls reach back to discussions about replacing the city’s aging high school. Retired City Council member Phil Duncan said serious conversations began when his now-32-year-old son was still in elementary school.

Officials realized that a taller, more compact school could replace the sprawling, single-story campus while freeing nearby property for redevelopment. That land could then generate revenue while accommodating housing, stores, restaurants and other uses.

The process also required resolving jurisdictional and ownership questions. City Manager Wyatt Shields said the property was once part of Fairfax County and came into Falls Church through a boundary adjustment connected to the sale of the county water system.

Because the site was School Board property, the board played an unusually important role in shaping the plan. It worked with the City Council and Economic Development Authority to pursue the school and commercial projects on parallel tracks.

A competitive solicitation produced the development team led by Hoffman. The parties then undertook difficult negotiations for a 99-year ground lease.

Jim Coyle, vice chair of the Economic Development Authority, said the authority’s involvement helped overcome limits under state law on the length of leases the City Council could execute. The land was transferred to the EDA, which signed the long-term lease with the developer.

The project still had to weather changing economic conditions, community concerns, jurisdictional complications and the pandemic’s supply-chain disruptions.

Shields credited Hoffman with persevering and delivering what it had promised. He said the result is a place where people of different ages can live, work, shop, dine and gather.

Business Leaders See a New Gateway

Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Elise Neil Bengtson said West Falls has brought new life to a section of the city that every traveler between Falls Church and Tysons will see.

Businesses are already operating, residents have moved into The Alder and The Oak, and several West Falls tenants have joined the chamber. Bengtson said the neighborhood’s proximity to Metro adds to its appeal for businesses and residents.

Chamber Chair David Crance contrasted the new development with the far more limited commercial activity he saw along Broad Street 10 or 15 years ago. He recalled earlier community anxiety over major projects, including objections when a hotel was proposed near a school.

Crance said he was impressed by the long-term vision of current and former city leaders, including Hardi and former Mayor David Tarter. He particularly praised the effort to build the school and surrounding development while reducing the direct burden on taxpayers.

Hardi acknowledged that the pace of construction can feel dramatic to residents accustomed to decades of slower change. She argued, however, that carefully planned growth has allowed Falls Church to improve schools, infrastructure and services without relying entirely on higher property-tax rates.

The city has lowered its tax rate by 15 or 16 cents per $100 of assessed value over the past three years, she said.

Coyle similarly argued that commercial development helps finance schools and public services while easing pressure on homeowners. He said the city has generally concentrated mixed-use construction in locations where it has limited effects on established residential areas.

Built Around Walking and Transit

Duncan called West Falls the city’s first from-the-ground-up example of New Urbanism: a community where residents can reasonably live, shop, eat and work within walking distance.

Access to the West Falls Church Metro station could allow some residents to live without a car, he said. Restaurants, entertainment and nearby grocery options—including the existing Giant at Birch & Broad—expand the range of daily needs that can be met on foot.

Early resident Easwara Sadasivan said that promise is already becoming real. The retired Pennsylvania research scientist lives on the eighth floor of The Alder and walks nearly seven miles a day.

Sadasivan said he can walk to his doctor and bank, enjoys the neighborhood’s restaurants and frequently visits Jubilee Ice Cream with his grandchildren. Although The Alder is expensive, he said its facilities, security and helpful community make it worthwhile.

For Hardi, the neighborhood’s mix of education, housing and economic opportunity reflects what local government should accomplish: solve problems, deliver tangible results and leave the community stronger for the next generation.